Rani Lakshmibai

"It's not what you call me, but what I answer to."-African Proverb. Answering to the cries of India, Rani Lakshmibai charged into battle with a fierce war cry. To many, she is known as the Rani of Jhansi, but it is not her name that makes her a hero. In a world where women were not so prominent, a world where they were raised to be housewives, a little girl was born. On November 19,1835 Manakarnika Moropanth Tambe was born. Manakarnika, or Manu as she was called, had an anomalous childhood. Instead of learning how to run a house, she learned to ride a horse. Instead of learning how to cook, she learned how to fight. Unlike other girls, Manu received a complete education from her father and she learned to read and write. With her knowledge and high status, Manakarnika married the King of Jhansi. After her marriage, she changed her name to Lakshmibai. For a short period of time, Rani Lakshmibai lived a tranquil married life. However, it didn't last long. Rani Lakshmibai's husband died early of a deathly illness. Being a widowed woman, Rani Lakshmibai was left with the responsibility of the kingdom on her shoulders. Gathering up whatever sanity she had left, Rani Lakshmibai faced the people and began to rule in the way she saw fit. She was not a woman accustomed to the job. She was inexperienced, young and immature. To add to the obstacles in her way, India was going through a time of rioting and protesting. It was a time where the British tyranny had grown far too much and the people of India had grown far too tired. Famous freedom fighters such as Mahatma Gandhi and Lokmanya Tilak were yet to be born. India needed a hero. A hero to save the country from the shackles of  oppression. Quite contrary to what India needed, Rani Lakshmibai remained quite passive over the years and concentrated on making her kingdom flourish. Only then did she become ready to fight when the British came knocking at her palace. The British ordered her to give up her kingdom of Jhansi and surrender to them. Startled with this sudden demand, Rani Lakshmibai sent back a letter of refusal. Time aged and the tension between Jhansi and the British tightened like a rubber band about to snap. It was in these times that Rani Lakshmibai, the Queen of Jhansi, proved herself a hero through her strong will, leadership and bravery.  

Rani Lakshmibai's strong will through the Battle of Jhansi contributed to her heroism. She remained firm and rooted when the British army came to take her kingdom by force. She responded with a refusal to the letter the British sent and as a result, an army general arrived at her doorstep: "On 20th March 1858, Sir Huge encamped with his army and sent a message to her that she should surrender; but rather than surrendering, she stood on the rampart of her fort motivating her army to fight with the British." (Rani Lakshmi Bai: Warrior Queen of Jhansi). Rani Lakshmibai's approach towards the command to surrender surprised not only the British, but also the people of India. What woman would refuse a man's order? What woman would rebel ?  A woman with a strong will. A woman with the capacity to stay firm. Rani Lakshmibai's strong will solidified when she took the next step and motivated the army to fight. With her firmness, the battle between Jhansi and the British became inevitable. Both sides prepared for the fight and were determined to come out as the winner. They fought hard and struggled for the kingdom:

For 10 days the British bombarded Jhansi with artillery and maintained a constant fire from the infantry. The bombardment is said to have been intense, as was the return fire. In actions prior to this one, the rebels had been able to make good their escape and [Sir Huge] Rose was determined that that should not happen this time and had entirely surrounded Jhansi. (Lakshmibai, Rani of Jhansi)

Rani Lakshmibai's intelligent leadership added to her strong will. She didn't just make the right decisions. As a leader, she also inspired her own people in the fight for Jhansi:

The level of support for Lakshmibai is shown by the number of volunteers, 14,000, from a population of 250,000. When one considers the number of families involved, say dividing by six to give a figure of 42,000, there was a volunteer from at least one in three families. She also organised the women to keep the troops supplied at the front line; there must have been many casualties among them. The British officers observed an enthusiasm and energy in the defending troops that they had never been able to obtain from their own native soldiers. Sadly, enthusiasm is no substitute for training, discipline, weaponry and leadership in the form of qualified officers. Numerically the British were greatly outnumbered, but militarily they had the advantage. (Lakshmibai, Rani of Jhansi)

Rani Lakshmibai's three most significant traits became completed with her outstanding bravery. Her actions during the war clearly displayed that she had grown to be a brave, strong woman: "In the Jhansi army women were also carrying ammunition and were supplying food to the soldiers. Rani Lakshmi Bai was very active. She herself was inspecting the defense of the city." (Rani Jhansi) Rani Lakshmibai showed her lionheart of bravery with her active participation in the battle. A stereotypical queen would remain in the quarters of her castle, safe and locked away. But the Queen of Jhansi was not  stereotypical. She charged straight into a warzone. It was a zone where weapons flew through the air and anyone could die at any moment. Seated on a horse, Rani Lakshmibai watched the defenses and aided them. There is more account on the Rani of Jhansi in the midst of battle: "The fighting is said to have been intense with the Rani in the thick of it, as she had been during the siege when she, with her ladies, was often visible to the British, directing and encouraging the resistance." (Lakshmibai, Rani of Jhansi) Once again, Rani Lakshmibai put herself in danger and acted like a true leader. Her bravery stands not in her leadership, but in the fact that she is involved in the battle with her troops. This display of bravery proves her to be a hero. This has left a permanent mark on the minds of India and has left people remembering her for decades.

Rani Lakshmibai will forever be remembered as the strong willed woman with outstanding bravery and leadership. These exceptional qualities helped shape the freedom fighters in India for years to come. To me, Rani Lakshmibai was not just a queen. She was the embodiment of what a woman was capable of. She was born in such a time where women didn't know a world beyond the four walls of their houses. Rani Lakshmibai pushed forward the extra courage and bravery she had to not only manage a kingdom, but to lead and organize an entire army. Rani Lakshmibai led her troops into battle and she herself fought with the British; a battle as a result of her refusal to surrender. Rani Lakshmibai died on June 17, 1858 on the battlefield after losing her fort to the British. She lived for barely 23 years, but in those years she made a permanent mark on her people. Today, people still remember her as the valiant Rani of Jhansi, but her fame is not in her name. It is in her answer to the cries of India.